FORMER Arsenal transfer supremo Dick Law has revealed Alexis Sanchez had agreed to extend his stay at the Emirates - then changed his mind and moved to Manchester United after a lengthy transfer saga.

Law claims that the Chilean performed a U-turn on his future while the documents were being proofed by his camp.

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Alexis Sanchez was close to signing a new deal with Arsenal before joining Man Utd, claims Dick LawCredit: PA:Press Association

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Law says he flew to Chile in December 2016 and come to an agreement with Sanchez's camp over a new contractCredit: Rex Features

Arsenal desperately tried to keep hold of Sanchez, 30, who was entering the last year of his deal in the summer of 2017.

And according to Law, Gunners chiefs were convinced they had achieved that when the Chilean said would commit his future to the Gunners in December 2016.

But Law claims the forward changed his mind for an unknown reason just before the new contract was to be signed.

And, after a protracted saga, Sanchez moved to Old Trafford in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan join Arsene Wenger's side in January 2018.

'WE HAD A DEAL'

Law told Goal: "It was in December and we had been talking to his agent [Fernando Felicevich] throughout all of 2016, the whole year.

"We got to December, I flew to Santiago and we did the deal.

"The player agreed to it on a phone call from Fernando's office.

"Fernando and I shook hands and discussed how difficult the negotiation had been and we had the deal done.

"The contract team drafted the new contract and sent it over to the lawyers representing Sanchez and in that space of time, while the documents were being proofed, he changed his mind for whatever reason.

"We don’t know who got to the player, or why he changed his mind. But the bottom line was, he did."